BJP takes aim at Trinamool for nominating 3 ‘turncoat’ candidates still registered as BJP legislators

The BJP in West Bengal is targeting the Trinamool Congress for fielding ‘turncoat’ candidates who are still BJP legislators on paper. Three Trinamool nominees are sitting BJP MLAs who joined the ruling party after the 2021 Assembly elections. The BJP is questioning their loyalty and raising the issue in election rallies.

Krishna Kalyani, Biswajit Das, and Mukut Manu Adhikari are the BJP legislators contesting on Trinamool tickets from Raiganj, Bangaon, and Ranaghat respectively. Despite their switch in loyalty, they continue to be BJP members on record. The BJP is demanding political honesty from the Trinamool candidates and questioning their integrity in contesting elections without resigning as opposition MLAs.

The BJP is highlighting the case of Tapas Roy, a former Trinamool legislator who resigned and joined the BJP before contesting the elections. Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, criticized the Trinamool for welcoming BJP ‘discards’. The CPI-M leadership also pointed out the frequent switching of political camps between the Trinamool and BJP.

The ‘turncoat’ candidates justify their switch by claiming that they were influenced by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s promises and wanted to be part of the development process. Biswajit Das even mentioned his emotional bond with the Chief Minister despite getting elected on a BJP ticket. The political dynamics in West Bengal are heating up as the campaign for the Lok Sabha polls intensifies.